Africa News

Pope Francis has died

Published

6 months ago

21/04/2025

Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced, bringing to a close a 12-year papacy that left a lasting mark on the Catholic Church and the world. Elected in March 2013 following the historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Francis was widely regarded as a reformer with a deep commitment to humility, compassion, and social justice.

He had recently been released from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he had been admitted on February 14 due to breathing difficulties. Doctors later confirmed he was suffering from a complex respiratory infection and double pneumonia, both of which severely impacted his lungs. Despite his condition, Francis made a public appearance on Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Square and met U.S. Vice President JD Vance the day before his death.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the man who would become Pope Francis, was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian immigrant parents. Before entering the priesthood, he studied chemistry and led a vibrant youth, enjoying dancing, dating, and even working as a nightclub bouncer. In a 2010 biography, he spoke fondly of his love for tango, which he used to dance with friends before feeling a religious calling.

He joined the Society of Jesus and was appointed head of the Jesuits in Argentina in 1973 at the age of 36. His experience during Argentina’s Dirty War deeply shaped his views, softening his conservatism and guiding him toward a more compassionate approach to leadership. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.

During the 2005 conclave to replace John Paul II, Bergoglio was seen as a serious candidate, reportedly receiving dozens of votes before Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected as Benedict XVI. When Benedict stepped down in 2013, Bergoglio was chosen to succeed him, becoming the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first non-European pontiff in over a millennium.

Upon his election, he took the name Francis, inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi. He said the name came to him after Cardinal Claudio Hummes embraced him and whispered, “Don’t forget the poor,” a message that would shape his papacy.

From the beginning, Francis was known for his humility and simplicity. He rejected the grand papal apartments, choosing to live in the modest Casa Santa Marta guesthouse. He wore plain black shoes instead of the traditional red ones and often referred to himself simply as the Bishop of Rome. He also famously returned to the Church-run residence where he stayed during the conclave to pay his bill in person.

Francis quickly gained attention for his progressive tone, particularly on LGBTQ+ issues. Just months after becoming pope, he made headlines when asked about gay priests, responding, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” It was the first time a pope had used the word “gay” in reference to sexuality. He later condemned the criminalization of homosexuality and emphasized that LGBTQ+ individuals are “children of God” who should be welcomed by the Church.

His leadership inspired both admiration and controversy. According to Dr. Gregory Ryan from the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University, Francis shifted Church dynamics in a way few popes had before. Unlike earlier leaders, whose critics were often theologians or academics, Francis faced growing dissent from within the Church hierarchy itself—including bishops.

As the Church prepares for the traditional rituals of mourning and the election of a new pope, Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy defined by humility, boldness, and a deep concern for the world’s most vulnerable.

Africa News

Burberry leads line-up in London Fashion Week

Published

2 years ago

20/07/2023

Burberry leads line-up in London Fashion Week. Burberry, JW Anderson, ERDEM, ROKSANDA and Simone Rocha will lead the line-up at the next edition of London Fashion Week, which will also feature 30-year anniversary celebrations for the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN talent showcase.

Others taking part in the Fashion Week this season include ASAI, Dilara Findikoglu, Eudon Choi, FASHION EAST, KNWLS, palmer//harding, PHOEBE ENGLISH and Richard Quinn. This year’s BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner 16Arlington will be returning to the schedule, as well as BFC Fashion Trust 2023 recipients Chopova Lowena and Molly Goddard.

New to the schedule are EIRINN HAYHOW, Holzweiler, PĪFERI (BFC Fashion Trust 2023 recipient), Spencer Badu and SRVC. The final physical and digital schedule will be released in August 2023 and will include further updates and specific information regarding the format and timings of each activation.

LFW September 2023 will continue the year-long celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the BFC NEWGEN showcasing initiative by highlighting the scheme’s illustrious history and alumni, and London’s legacy in nurturing emerging talent and the next generation of visionary creatives.

To coincide with LFW September 2023, the landmark exhibition, REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion which is sponsored by Alexander McQueen and guest curated by Sarah Mower, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent, will open from 16 September 2023 to 11 February 2024 at the Design Museum in London. It is being billed as one of the most compelling contemporary fashion exhibitions ever staged in the UK, acknowledging the work of over 300 designers, and featuring over 100 objects.

Burberry, JW Anderson, ERDEM, ROKSANDA and Simone Rocha will lead the line-up at the next edition of London Fashion Week, which will also feature 30-year anniversary celebrations for the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN talent showcase.

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LFW September 2023 will continue the year-long celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the BFC NEWGEN showcasing initiative by highlighting the scheme’s illustrious history and alumni, and London’s legacy in nurturing emerging talent and the next generation of visionary creatives.

This season, the BFC NEWGEN Show Space will return to The Old Selfridges Hotel. Designers returning to the schedule include ANCUȚA SARCA, Chet Lo, Conner Ives, DI PETSA, FEBEN, HARRI, HELEN KIRKUM, LABRUM London (Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design 2023 recipient), Leo Carlton, MASHA POPOVA, Paolo Carzana, Sinéad O’Dwyer,S.S.DALEY, Stefan Cooke and yuhan wang. New to the NEWGEN roster are AARON ESH, DERRICK, Kazna Asker, The Winter House and TOLU COKER.

LFW and Ukrainian Fashion Week will present three Ukrainian designers: GASANOVA, My Sleeping Gypsy and NADYA DYZYAK as part of ‘Support Ukrainian Fashion’. This initiative was launched by Ukrainian Fashion Week to support designers in Ukraine.

Africa News

Jesus Is NOT Coming BACK – Vatican Says

Published

9 years ago

27/07/2016

A SPOKESPERSON for the Vatican (Roman Catholic) officially announced that the second coming of Jesus, the only son of the God, may not happen now after all, but urged followers to still continue with their faith, regardless of the news.

Cardinal Giorgio Salvadore told WWN that this years 1,981st anniversary is to be the Vatican’s last in regards to waiting for the Lord to return to Earth. “We just feel Jesus is not coming back by the looks of it.” he said. “It’s been ages like. He’s probably flat out doing other really good things for people
somewhere else.”

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus promised his disciples that he would come again in chapter John 14:1-3 of the bible: “There are many homes up where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When
everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with Me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly”

The Vatican defended Jesus’ broken promise, claiming “he was probably drinking wine” at the time when he made the comments. “Having the ability to turn water into wine had its ups and its downs.” added Cardinal Salvadore. “We all make promises we can’t keep when we’re drunk. Jesus was no different.”

The church said it will now focus attention on rebuilding its reputation around the world, but will keep an optimistic mind for the savior’s second coming.

In July 2016, the entertainment web site RealTimeNews.info published an article reporting that Cardinal Giorgio Salvadore had announced that the Vatican no longer believes that Jesus will return to the world:

While RealTimeNews.info does not carry a readily available disclaimer on its web site, the story quoted above is a carbon copy of an article published in 2014 by Waterford Whispers News, a web site that does label itself a satire publication:

“The publication is the fabrication of a mischievous and malicious person. The views stated in it do not come from any Cardinal in the Vatican,” he declared in a statement.

He said none of the 216 Cardinals bore the name Giorgio Salvadore and explained that there was, indeed, a Cardinal Salvatore de Giorgi, an Archbishop Emeritus of Palermo.